For 11 innings on Friday night in Lexington, Kentucky, nothing could separate IU and North Carolina State in their NCAA Tournament Opening Round game.
Then, the ball bounced the way of the Wolfpack.
In the 12th inning, NC State junior infielder Stephen Pitarra sent a bouncing ball towards IU freshman shortstop Jeremy Houston. Houston misjudged the bounce of the ball and it went into the outfield, placing runners at first and third base for NC State.
A wild pitch and an RBI single later, NC State had done just enough to defeat IU.
The 7-6 NC State victory in 12 innings was demoralizing in a number of ways for IU. IU had twice held the lead at Cliff Hagan Stadium, before allowing home runs to NC State that tied the game on each occasion.
IU used four pitchers in the loss, thinning a pitching staff that faces a quick turnaround for tomorrow’s 12 p.m. elimination game against Ohio.
The Hoosiers also had their share of unforced errors on the night. This included baserunning mistakes that appeared to cost IU at least one run.
Sophomore pitcher Pauly Milto started for IU on Friday and pitched well, lasting six innings with only four earned runs. He settled into the game well after allowing an RBI triple in the first inning.
IU had immediately responded by posting a three-run first inning. Doubles from senior infielder Tony Butler and sophomore infielder Matt Lloyd set up sophomore infielder Luke Miller, who also doubled to plate two runs. Senior outfielder Alex Krupa added another run on a fielder’s choice.
The Wolfpack posted two doubles of their own in the second to trim the lead to one run, but junior outfielder Logan Sowers restored the two-run IU lead with an RBI double in the IU half of the second.
The hit by Sowers should have scored at least one more run, though, as senior outfielder Craig Dedelow stopped at third base instead of following the signal to try and score.
Freshman infielder Will Wilson made IU pay for that error in the fourth with a two-run homer off Milto to left field.
Another RBI double by Sowers gave the Hoosiers a 5-4 lead that was maintained until the eighth, when junior infielder Joe Dunand recorded a solo home run for the Wolfpack.
Even after NC State went up by two runs in the 12th, IU had an opportunity to tie the game. With two outs, Miller drew a walk and Dedelow tripled to left field. The tying run was only 90 feet from scoring when Sowers struck out to end the game.
The winner of the IU-Ohio elimination game will play the loser of tomorrow night’s Kentucky-NC State game in another elimination game.
Cameron Drummond
